Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days, been working 12 hour shifts since Tuesday. Baltimore is in a state of emergency. Our headquarters building is encircled with sand filled dump trunks with officers bearing machine guns, MP14's, at the entrance and "other places". We're guarding security threat buildings round the clock and the mood is somber with rage. You don't won't to mess with a police officer at the moment.... weâ€™re all testy and our handcuffs are well oiled! . It's a strange feeling. Rage and tears and more rage. We're sending a contingent of officers to NY to help with the rescue/recovery. Our Commissioner was a Deputy Commissioner with the NY PD and his heart is with them and broken. Do you believe that two calls were received by communications division yesterday proclaiming sightings of Bin Ladin? (1). He was seen in an undisclosed 7/11...(2) He was dining at The Helmond, a very nice Afghan Restaurant in the center of the city, I've eaten there several times. Intel Officers responded and the owner knew who called in the prank call. Armed with the jerk's name and address in Baltimore County, we responded and LOCKED HIS A** UP!!! we've had about enough of prank calls. I hope everyone is doing ok. These are difficult times and my thoughts are with those and what makes me smile...one of those is this board.

Well done Drew. Know this is a very stressful time, you beinf darned near at ground zero. I do my best to forward any strength left for the many amazing men in the NYPD and NYFD> Flat-ARSED UNBELIEVABLE !! Donated a pint Fri and Sun. Hope they don't run a BAC on them . WW

Thanks for your service, Drew. And thanks to all those with whom you serve.

There's a voice command given in the Infantry that's only given when a unit is critically low on ammunition, and preparing to absorb a major attack:
"Prepare to fix..."
"Fix....bayonets!"
Guaranteed to dump a gallon of pure adrelalin into the bloodstream of every swingin' Richard within earshot, 'cause he knows he facing imminent hand-to-hand combat.

The citizens have been terrific. They've brought so much food and drink to the Districts for the officers to refresh themselves and the phones ring non stop with people wanting to volunteer to do anything to help... and how about the many stories of the young people nationwide who have pitched in to help not only the victims and families of this mass murder, but have helped their hometowns deal with the emotional impact. Thank God for youthful optimism! Another strange phenomenon, at this time, is that crime is at a very low point, and this is being noticed everywhere. Our District, Northeast, serves 1/5 of the Baltimore population. During the last 6 days we carded an ultra low 5 crimes. We usually only see this type of decrease during winter blizzard conditions! It's hard to believe that there is something that can touch the heart of criminals and drug addicts. No one that I've worked with that has years of experience can figure this one out.

Drew,
RE: low crime rate. My take is that the criminal element has been bumming in front of their TV the same as the rest of the country. You can be a 'bad guy' and still know which side you're on. After all, if the foreigners win, they'll probably try and impose their 'chop off a thieves right hand' system of justice here. You think that idea's gonna go over big with the Charm City armed robbery crowd?

Every U down in Uville liked U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of Uville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! the whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say, It could be his turban was
screwed on too tight. Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright But
I think that the most likely reason of all May have been that his heart was
two sizes too small. But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban, He
stood facing Uville, the part that was urban. "They're doing their
business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to church! They're leading
the world, and their empire is thriving, I MUST keep the S's and U's from
surviving!"
Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their dresses, They'd go to
their offices, playgrounds and schools, And abide by their U and S values
and rules, And then they'd do something he liked least of all, Every U down
in U-ville, the tall and the small, Would stand all united, each U and each
S, And they'd sing Uville's anthem, "God bless us! God bless!" All around
their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand, and their voices would drown
every sound in the land. "I must stop that singing," Binch said with a
smirk, And he had an idea-an idea that just might work! The Binch stole some U
airplanes in U morning hours, And crashed them right into the Uville Twin
Towers. "They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour, "And how can
they sing when they can't find a tower?" The Binch cocked his ear as they
woke from their sleeping, All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low, And it built up quite
slow, but it started to grow-
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing...
And he couldn't believe it-they started to sing! He stared down at
U-ville, not trusting his eyes, What he saw was a shocking, disgusting
surprise! Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing!
Without any towers at all!
He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung! For down deep in the
hearts of the old and the young, Those Twin Towers were standing, called
Hope and called Pride, And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.
So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall, With a hand in each hand
of the tall and the small, And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll
cope, For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope. For America means a
bit more than tall towers, It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess, So may God bless America! Bless
us! God bless!